Editing Common sunflower (section)

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Dwarf sunflower seedling.jpg|thumb|Seedling of a dwarf sunflower]]
In commercial planting, seeds are planted {{convert|45|cm|ft|abbr=on|frac=2}} apart and {{convert|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} deep.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

=== History ===
Common sunflower was one of several plants cultivated by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] in [[prehistoric]] North America as part of the [[Eastern Agricultural Complex]], which also included corn, beans, squash, and a variety of other crops.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-13 |title=Native American - Prehistoric Farming, Agriculture, Cultivation {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Native-American/Prehistoric-farmers |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Although it was commonly accepted that the sunflower was first domesticated in what is now the southeastern US, roughly 5,000 years ago,<ref>Blackman et al. (2011). [http://www.pnas.org/content/108/34/14360.full]. PNAS.</ref> there is evidence that it was first domesticated in Mexico<ref>Lentz et al. (2008). [http://www.pnas.org/content/105/17/6232.full.pdf. PNAS.]</ref> around 2600&nbsp;BCE. These crops were found in [[Tabasco, Mexico]], at the San Andres dig site. The earliest known examples in the US of a fully domesticated sunflower have been found in [[Tennessee]], and date to around 2300&nbsp;BCE.<ref>Rieseberg, Loren H., et al. (2004). Origin of Extant Domesticated Sunflowers in Eastern North America. ''Nature'' 430.6996. 201–205.</ref> Other very early examples come from rockshelter sites in Eastern Kentucky.<ref>Henderson & Pollack (2012). [https://heritage.ky.gov/Documents/Native_History_KyTeachers.pdf Kentucky history].</ref> Many [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous American peoples]] used the sunflower as the symbol of their [[solar deity]], including the [[Tonatiuh|Aztecs]] and the [[Otomi people|Otomi]] of Mexico and the [[Inca Empire|Incas]] in South America. In 1510, early Spanish explorers encountered the sunflower in the Americas and carried its seeds back to Europe.<ref>{{cite book |last=Putt, E.D. |title=Sunflower Technology and Production |publisher=American Society of Agronomy |year=1997 |editor=A.A. Schneiter |series=Agronomy Series |volume=35 |location=Madison, Wisconsin |pages=1–19 |chapter=Early history of sunflower}}</ref> Of the four plants known to have been domesticated in eastern North America<ref>Smith (2006). [http://www.pnas.org/content/103/33/12223.full]. PNAS.</ref> and to have become important agricultural commodities, the sunflower is currently the most economically important.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

Research of phylogeographic relations and population demographic patterns across sunflowers has demonstrated that earlier cultivated sunflowers form a [[clade]] from wild populations from the [[Great Plains]], which indicates that there was a single domestication event in central North America. Following the cultivated sunflower's origin, it may have gone through significant bottlenecks dating back to ~5,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Brian |last2=Burke |first2=John M. |date=March 2020 |title=Phylogeography and the Evolutionary History of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.): Wild Diversity and the Dynamics of Domestication |journal=Genes |language=en |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=266 |doi=10.3390/genes11030266 |pmc=7140811 |pmid=32121324 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

In the 16th century the first crop breeds were brought [[Columbian exchange|from America to Europe]] by explorers.<ref name="Hancock2012">{{cite book |last=Hancock |first=J.F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bRHaEWvR1uMC |title=Plant Evolution and the Origin of Crop Species |publisher=CABI Pub. |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-85199-874-9 |page=188 |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref> Domestic sunflower seeds have been found in Mexico, dating to 2100&nbsp;BCE. Native American people grew sunflowers as a crop from Mexico to Southern Canada.<ref name="Hancock2012" /> They then were introduced to the [[Russian Empire]], where oilseed cultivators were located, and the flowers were developed and grown on an industrial scale. The Russian Empire reintroduced this oilseed cultivation process to North America in the mid-20th century; North America began their commercial era of sunflower production and breeding.<ref name="Atamian-2016" />  New breeds of the ''Helianthus spp.'' began to become more prominent in new geographical areas. During the 18th century, the use of sunflower oil became very popular in Russia, particularly with members of the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], because only plant-based fats were allowed during [[Great Lent|Lent]], according to [[Fasting#Rules|fasting traditions]].<ref>SUNFLOWERS: The Secret History. (2007). ''Kirkus Reviews'' 75.23:1236. ''Academic Search Complete.'' Web. 17 November 2012.</ref> In the early 19th century, it was first commercialized in the [[Alexeyevka, Belgorod Oblast|village of Alexeyevka]] in [[Voronezh Governorate]] by the merchant named Daniil Bokaryov, who developed a technology suitable for its large-scale extraction, and quickly spread around. The town's coat of arms has included an image of a sunflower ever since.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

=== Production ===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:14em; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="2" |Sunflower seed production – 2020
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;" | Country
! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;" | <small>(Millions of [[tonne]]s)</small>
|-
| {{RUS}} ||13.3
|-
| {{UKR}} ||13.1
|-
| {{ARG}} ||3.2
|-
| {{CHN}} ||2.4
|-
| {{ROM}} ||2.2
|-
| {{TUR}} ||2.1
|-
| {{USA}} ||1.4
|-
| '''World''' || '''50.2'''
|-
| colspan="2" |<small>Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the United Nations</small><ref name="faostat">{{cite web |date=2022 |title=Production of sunflower seeds in 2020, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity (pick lists) |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC |access-date=13 March 2022 |publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)}}</ref>
|}

In 2020, world production of [[sunflower seed]]s was 50 million tonnes, led by Russia and [[Ukraine]], with 53% combined of the total.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

=== Fertilizer use ===
Researchers have analyzed the impact of various nitrogen-based fertilizers on the growth of sunflowers. [[Ammonium nitrate]] was found to produce better nitrogen absorption than [[urea]], which performed better in low-temperature areas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Spinelli |first1=D |last2=Bardi |first2=L |last3=Fierro |first3=A |last4=Jez |first4=S |last5=Basosi |first5=R |year=2017 |title=Environmental analysis of sunflower production with different forms of mineral nitrogen fertilizers |url=http://ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/138249/1/2015AA039.pdf |journal=The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |publisher=Journal of Environmental Management |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=492–501 |doi=10.1007/s11367-016-1089-6 |pmid=23974447 |s2cid=112613303}}</ref>

=== Crop rotation ===
Sunflower cultivation typically uses [[crop rotation]], often with [[cereals]], [[soybean]], or  [[rapeseed]].<ref>{{Citation |last1=Debaeke |first1=Philippe |title=Chapter 16 – Sunflower |date=1 January 2021 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128191941000165 |work=Crop Physiology Case Histories for Major Crops |pages=482–517 |editor-last=Sadras |editor-first=Victor O. |access-date=2023-07-04 |publisher=Academic Press |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-819194-1.00016-5 |isbn=978-0-12-819194-1 |quote=In most countries, sunflower is usually recommended to be grown in 3–4 years rotations, generally with cereals (e.g. wheat, barley, maize and sorghum), soybean, oilseed rape and grain legumes |last2=Izquierdo |first2=Natalia G. |s2cid=243584066 |editor2-last=Calderini |editor2-first=Daniel F.}}</ref> This reduces idle periods and increases total sunflower production and profitability.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Castro |first1=C. |last2=Leite |first2=Regina |year=2018 |title=Main aspects of sunflower production in Brazil |url=https://www.ocl-journal.org/articles/ocl/pdf/2018/01/ocl170047.pdf |journal= OCL|volume=25 |pages=D104 |doi=10.1051/ocl/2017056 |id={{ProQuest|2036361008}} |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mastuura |first1=M. I. S. F. |last2=Dias |first2=F. R. T. |last3=Picoli |first3=J. F. |last4=Lucas |first4=K. R. G. |last5=Castro |first5=C. |last6=Hirakuri |first6=M. H. |year=2017 |title=Life-cycle assessment of the soybean-sunflower production system in the Brazilian Cerrado |url=http://ainfo.cnptia.embrapa.br/digital/bitstream/item/138249/1/2015AA039.pdf |journal=The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=492–501 |doi=10.1007/s11367-016-1089-6 |bibcode=2017IJLCA..22..492M |s2cid=112613303}}</ref>

===Hybrids and cultivars===
{{more citations needed section|reason=A lot of these cultivars are unreferenced.|date=April 2025}}
In today's market, most of the sunflower seeds provided or grown by farmers are hybrids. Hybrids or hybridized sunflowers are produced by cross-breeding different types and species, for example cultivated sunflowers with wild species. By doing so, new genetic recombinations are obtained ultimately leading to the production of new hybrid species. These hybrid species generally have a higher fitness and carry properties or characteristics that farmers look for, such as resistance to pathogens.<ref name="Gontcharov, SV. Antonova 2006" />

Hybrid, ''Helianthus annuus dwarf2'' does not contain the hormone gibberellin and does not display heliotropic behavior. Plants treated with an external application of the hormone display a temporary restoration of elongation growth patterns. This growth pattern diminished by 35% 7–14 days after final treatment.<ref name="Atamian-2016" />

Hybrid male sterile and male fertile flowers that display heterogeneity have a low crossover of honeybee visitation. Sensory cues such as pollen odor, diameter of seed head, and height may influence pollinator visitation of pollinators that display constancy behavior patterns.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=Cinthia Susic |last2=Farina |first2=Walter M. |date=1 March 2016 |title=Honeybee floral constancy and pollination efficiency in sunflower (Helianthus annuus) crops for hybrid seed production |journal=Apidologie |language=en |volume=47 |issue=2 |pages=161–170 |doi=10.1007/s13592-015-0384-8 |issn=0044-8435 |doi-access=free|hdl=11336/44997 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Sunflowers are grown as ornamentals in a domestic setting. Being easy to grow and producing spectacular results in any good, moist soil in full sun, they are a favourite subject for children. A large number of cultivars, of varying size and color, are now available to grow from seed. The following are [[cultivar]]s of sunflowers (those marked {{smallcaps|agm}} have gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]]):<ref>{{cite web |date=July 2017 |title=AGM Plants – Ornamental |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf |access-date=3 March 2018 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |page=43}}</ref>

{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* American Giant
* Arnika
* Autumn Beauty
* Aztec Sun
* Black Oil
* Chianti Hybrid
* Claret {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/165512/Helianthus-annuus-Claret/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Claret' | publisher=Apps.rhs.org.uk |access-date=2020-08-02}}</ref>
* Dwarf Sunspot
* Evening Sun
* Florenza
* Giant Primrose
* Gullick's Variety {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/53769/Helianthus-Gullick-s-Variety/Details | title = ''Helianthus'' 'Gullick's Variety' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Incredible
* Indian Blanket Hybrid
* Irish Eyes
* Italian White
* Kong Hybrid
* Large Grey Stripe
* Lemon Queen {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/79853/Helianthus-Lemon-Queen/Details | title = ''Helianthus'' 'Lemon Queen' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Loddon Gold {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/99914/Helianthus-Loddon-Gold/Details | title = ''Helianthus'' 'Loddon Gold' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref>
* Miss Mellish {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/203934/Helianthus-Miss-Mellish/Details | title = ''Helianthus'' 'Miss Mellish' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Monarch {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/96273/Helianthus-Monarch/Details | title = ''Helianthus'' 'Monarch' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Mongolian Giant
* Moon-Walker
* Munchkin<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/346263/Helianthus-annuus-Munchkin/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Munchkin' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Orange Sun
* Pastiche {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/165518/Helianthus-annuus-Pastiche/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Pastiche' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Peach Passion
* Peredovik
* Prado Red
* Red Sun
* Ring of Fire
* Rostov
* Russian Giant<ref name="tsc">{{cite web | url = https://www.theseedcollection.com.au/sunflower-Giant-Russian | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Russian Giant' | access-date = 9 May 2023}}</ref>
* Skyscraper
* Solar Eclipse
* Soraya
* Strawberry Blonde
* Sunny Hybrid
* Sunsation Yellow<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/346282/Helianthus-annuus-Sunsation-Yellow-(Sunsation-Series)/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Sunsation Yellow' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Sunshine
* Taiyo
* Tarahumara
* Teddy Bear {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/168546/Helianthus-annuus-Teddy-Bear-(d)/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Teddy Bear' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Thousand Suns
* Titan
* Valentine {{smallcaps|agm}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/165527/Helianthus-annuus-Valentine/Details | title = ''Helianthus annuus'' 'Valentine' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 1 August 2020}}</ref> 
* Velvet Queen
* Yellow Disk
}}
{{gallery|mode=packed
|Helianthus annuus prado red.jpg|Prado Red
|Sunflower3-2012.jpg|Mammoth Russian
|Helianthus annuus (cultivar) 02.jpg|Teddy Bear
}}